Four Thai Tapioca Associations Declare Severe Crisis, Urge Government to Make It a National Agenda
Commodity
Four Thai tapioca associations have declared a severe crisis in cassava root supply and are calling on the government to urgently address the issue as a national agenda. A survey conducted on August 7, 2026, indicates that production for the 2026/27 crop year is expected to drop to approximately 18.757 million tonnes, the lowest level on record. Although planted area increased by more than 2.29 percent, average yield per rai has declined due to a shortage of quality planting stems and the spread of cassava mosaic disease. Meanwhile, domestic demand for fresh cassava roots remains at 37 to 45 million tonnes per year, resulting in a severe raw material shortage. Many factories are operating at only 20 to 30 percent of capacity, and numerous cassava chip yards have been forced to close or suspend operations temporarily. The export value of tapioca products is trending downward from 155.498 billion baht in 2022 to below 70 billion baht in 2026, leading to an economic loss of over 85 billion baht. The private sector has put forward four urgent demands: declare the fight against cassava mosaic disease a national agenda and accelerate the distribution of clean and resistant planting stems; invest in irrigation systems and technology to restore production to 35 million tonnes within three years; upgrade trading standards and establish fair market mechanisms; and tighten import-export supervision while developing a central industry database, in order to maintain Thailand's leadership in the global tapioca industry.
